File:Cover page of "Thesaurus thesaurorum et secretum Wellcome L0072311.jpg

Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Cover page of "Thesaurus thesaurorum et secretum secretissimum in quo omnia Mundi arcana latent, quodque Deus per ineffabilem suam misericordiam homini vili et abjecto peccatorique maximo revelavit. Lapidis Philosophorum verus processus", unknown author, written c.1725

DESCRIPTION: Illustrated with numerous symbolic alchemical water-colour drawings, and figures of chemical and alchemical apparatus: a circular symbolic figure on p. 83 is by a different and later hand. The text and the legends to the illustrations are in Latin, but there are a few additions in verse in German. The title given above is that found on p. 7 at the beginning of the text. There is a title in an unresolved cypher on p. 1 of which the following only is en clair: 'S.N.D.B.L.E./..../Philoponus P...A...B...' Below the title to the second work (p. 93) is written 'Mei Magistri colendissimi piae memoriae'.

CUSTODIAL HISTORY: A former owner, Michelangelo Guatani of Bologna, has transcribed the Latin title on the outside of the upper cover, stating he had acquired the MS. in March 1874. He has also written a note on the first fly-leaf concerning Joannes Philoponus, an Alexandrian Christian philosopher who flourished in the first half of the sixth century, and wrote Commentaries on Aristotle, and other philosophical and scientific works, which are mostly unpublished. Guatani's note is extracted from the 'Nouvelle biographie universelle': there seems however, to be no possible connection between the Alexandrian philosopher and the author or contents of this manuscript. Purchased by the Wellcome Trust in 1931. c.1725 Thesaurus thesaurorum et secretum secretissimum in quo omnia Mundi arcana latent, quodque Deus per ineffabilem suam misericordiam homini vili et abjecto peccatorique maximo revelavit. Lapidis Philosophorum verus processus Unknown